The final College Football Playoff Rankings have been released, and all the bowl games are known for our final power rankings of the year.
1. Michigan Wolverines (13-0) | Last week: 2 (+1)
The loss by Georgia in the SEC Championship Game locks Michigan into the No. 1 spot, and their defense was dominant in the shutout win over Iowa on Saturday night. To take home a national championship, though, quarterback J.J. McCarthy will likely need to have more on his shoulders with 124.0 passing yards per game over the past four weeks.
2. Washington Huskies (13-0) | Last week: 5 (+3)
Washington entered the Pac-12 Championship Game as underdogs to Oregon despite beating them earlier this year, but they completely controlled the trenches in a 34-31 victory. The Huskies are a very dangerous team with Dillon Johnson churning out yardage on the ground and three talented wideouts for Michael Penix Jr. to hit.
3. Texas Longhorns (12-1) | Last week: 7 (+4)
Quarterback Quinn Ewers lit up Oklahoma State in the first half of the Big 12 title game, and the convincing 49-21 win seemed to leave no doubt about Texas making the CFB Playoff. Fortunately, the Longhorns are expected to have star wideout Xavier Worthy (ankle) healthy by the semifinal.
4. Alabama Crimson Tide (12-1) | Last week: 8 (+4)
It feels fitting to have Alabama back in the final year of the four-team playoff, and their run—a miraculous Iron Bowl victory followed by a win over powerhouse Georgia—will be even more legendary if they can win it all. The debate will rage on for years, but leaving the SEC Champions out of the CFP wouldn’t have matched the “best four teams” criteria.
5. Florida State Seminoles (13-0) | Last week: 3 (-2)
That said, Florida State fans have every right to be outraged about not making the top four, as they did everything possible to earn it with an undefeated regular season. Sadly, the injury to star quarterback Jordan Travis was the primary factor in leaving the Noles out, but they should be determined to put their best foot forward in the Orange Bowl.
6. Georgia Bulldogs (12-1) | Last week: 1 (-5)
Georgia being the back-to-back defending national champions and not getting a shot to defend their title as a one-loss team is tough, but star pass-catchers Ladd McConkey and Brock Bowers not being 100% made the Bulldogs a different offense. Both them and Florida State will be playing with something to prove in the Orange Bowl on December 30.
7. Ohio State Buckeyes (11-1) | Last week: 6 (-1)
Ohio State needed complete chaos to even be considered for a College Football Playoff spot, and they will be without quarterback Kyle McCord—who entered the transfer portal—for the Cotton Bowl. Ryan Day could look to the portal himself for a starter in 2024, and the Buckeyes will be focused on finding a way to get the edge over Michigan next November.
8. Oregon Ducks (11-2) | Last week: 4 (-4)
The Ducks simply couldn’t stop the run in the Pac-12 Championship Game loss, but quarterback Bo Nix will suit up against Liberty in the Fiesta Bowl as he closes out a tremendous college career—which boosts the game for football fans. Last year, Nix and Oregon had a memorable comeback win over Drake Maye and North Carolina in the Holiday Bowl.
9. Missouri Tigers (10-2) | Last week: 9
Head coach Eli Drinkwitz led the Tigers to a breakout campaign in his fourth year on the job, and ending the season with a win over Ohio State would be a huge accomplishment for the program after nearly a decade of mediocre results. Beating the Buckeyes would give Missouri their first bowl victory since they won the Cotton Bowl and Citrus Bowl in 2013 and 2014.
10. Penn State Nittany Lions (10-2) | Last week: 10
Penn State is a slight favorite over Ole Miss for what should be an entertaining Peach Bowl matchup, but fans of the Nittany Lions are hoping for more under head coach James Franklin. On the bright side, an expanded playoff in 2024 should have Penn State in good position to make noise with Drew Allar under center.